This argument is sort of like the "Intel Extreme CPU" vs "Regular locked CPU." The Intel Extreme CPUs fill a niche market, as does the SSD.

The major difference is that the Extreme CPUs will always be niche, while SSDs are becoming more mainstream.

SSDs are an enthusiast item right now. An enthusiast right now will spend $800 on an i7 platform, after spending the same on a high-end C2D platform just last year. $400 for a 120GB SSD, for the speed upgrade you get with it, is not much compared to the cost of a total high-end enthusiast rig.

I don't think there an enthusiast item anymore jmo. and i don't have all the answers ( don't start taking things personal )
My point is for performance people use to buy raptor/s ( me too ) and when i first bought mine it was almost 300$ for 74 gb i can get 32 gb ssd that's faster then a vraptor for 140$
all i am saying folks is i think this summer ssd's came of age and that is JMO i am not worried about data cause i keep all that on hd and have multiply back-ups

I like my HP laptop setup, a MTRON PRO 7500 for OS and apps, and a 500GB 7200RPM for data. the 500GB drive eats battery life like mad, but the solution is a nice compromise between performance and capacity since MTRON doesn't make 512GB SSDs, and if they did I couldn't afford it anyhow.

I upgraded to a 120GB Vertex a few months ago, from a Velociraptor, and didn't notice much of a speed difference. I noticed HUGE speed increase when I upgraded from some crappy maxtor IDE HDD to my VelociRaptor. I'm using my Vertex for my OS drive, and my VelociRaptor for games and other applications now, along with my 2 1TB Caviar Black drives for backup using Windows 7 RTM built-in backup program, and the other drive for storage. I havn't had any problems with my SSD, and I don't use half of it very often (I clean it out sometimes, even though I don't need to).

I upgraded to a 120GB Vertex a few months ago, from a Velociraptor, and didn't notice much of a speed difference. I noticed HUGE speed increase when I upgraded from some crappy maxtor IDE HDD to my VelociRaptor. I'm using my Vertex for my OS drive, and my VelociRaptor for games and other applications now, along with my 2 1TB Caviar Black drives for backup using Windows 7 RTM built-in backup program, and the other drive for storage. I havn't had any problems with my SSD, and I don't use half of it very often (I clean it out sometimes, even though I don't need to).

For some people, you only notice the benefit of SSD's when you go BACK to a HDD setup. Not having the pleasure of using or experiencing an SSD myself as of yet, this is what I've heard.